Haru began her explanation. “It’s a little… north of Twilight Town… I think? I think it is. I can’t remember perfectly.” She said hesitantly. What was wrong? She had… bad memories of the place, by the sounds of things. Oh well. I took Squall’s hand in my own, treating him like a three-year-old (which, emotionally, he was) and lead the group out of Balamb. I stopped at the entrance. “Ermm… guys? It’s still really late at night; do you wanna leave it till tomorrow? I think we all… need to rest for a bit…” Haru nodded, and Riku took her hand as we pulled out some sleeping bags, laying them at the front of the hall.
Haru and Riku slept side by side, peacefully in each other’s embrace. I remembered Zidane once asking me if I liked girls or not… of course I did, what wasn’t to like about girls? I still don’t know what he meant by that. I lay my sleeping bag next to Squall’s, I was sure he’d need someone to at least be there for him, to make sure he knew someone cared. I thought he might find it a little weird if I hugged him like Riku and Haru hugged, so I merely took his hand, and he squeezed mine back. It felt good to know that I could still help him through his troubles.
I didn’t sleep that night. Instead, I just watched Riku. His strong chest rose and fell with his gentle breathing, his eyes slightly open and reflecting the stars above. I traced his face in my mind, taking in every little detail and storing it somewhere safe. His deep, green eyes – which had tiny flecks of blue when you looked really closely – and his gentle but firm hands, and his soft, silver hair framing his pale face. His lips, which were soft and full, and his arms, which fit around me perfectly. I took in every single part of him several times, before sighing. Honestly, I was terrified. If Riku forgot me…I know he said that Namine couldn’t do that anymore, but…I didn’t trust that Organization XIII, especially not after Demyx.
I felt Riku’s hand slip back into mine. “I won’t forget you, I promise,” Riku whispered sleepily. I laughed quietly. “How do you always know-” Riku spoke before I had finished. “What you’re about to say?” he mumbled, “It’s a skill.” I smiled contentedly, but then I worried again. “And what if-” Riku shook his head. “I won’t let you forget me, either.” I snuggled further into Riku, finally totally calm. But I still didn’t sleep, and neither did Riku. We just lay together under the indigo sky, and I felt comfortable. Riku’s arms were so safe that whenever I was wrapped in them, it seemed like home. No matter where I was.
I woke up just before sunrise. Noticing Squall was gone; I got up, put my hat back on, and walked out the entrance, noticing a figure sat on the steps. Squall didn’t move as I sat next to him, but continued to look as the sun began to rise. “Vivi… Do you… like me?” Squall asked with a lot of effort in those few words. “Of course I like you Squall, don’t be silly. You’re great. I wish I was as strong as you. Since Quistis… I feel like I should be here for you, to help you.” Squall shook his head a little, smiling for the first time in a long time. “That’s not what I meant.” I looked confusedly at him. “Well, what did you mean? What’s not to like about you? You’re strong, good-looking, caring, kind… You’re great.” Squall smiled more. “You’re… still a kid… don’t understand.” He was right. I didn’t understand at all.
Haru and Riku got up about an hour later (or at least, that’s what it felt like). I stood up from the stairs, brushed my clothes down and adjusted my hat before walking over and saying good morning to them. “I’m really sorry, but I didn’t pack an y food…” As soon as the words came out of my mouth, Haru’s stomach rumbled. It looked like we’d have to catch some Bandersnatch or something soon.
I felt the hollow rumbling in my stomach and cringed. I hated it when that happened! But I was hungry…Squall offered to go and hunt something to eat, and we watched him walk away silently. “Do you reckon this is how he used to be? All quiet and moody and mysterious…” I joked. Riku shrugged. “Maybe.” Vivi looked up at us. “I think so. He seems too comfortable in it for this to be a new way for him.” I nodded at his words, but couldn’t help thinking back to some of the things he said yesterday. It was a little awkward, to say the least.
“So, Castle Oblivion!” Vivi laughed. “What’s it like there?” he asked loudly. Riku looked at me and that was when I remembered that he hadn’t actually gone inside. Only Namine, Gildas and I had…”Well…” I thought back. “It’s all white, but it’s a really bright, clean white. It gives you a headache to look at! And every floor looks exactly the same – it gets really confusing. Oh, and not all the doors are real. Some of them are just fake doors to confuse you even more. It’s where Organization XIII lives – like Zexion – but most of them aren’t as nice as Zexion.” Vivi nodded. He seemed to expect more than that, so I just shrugged. He nodded again. “Look!” Riku pointed to something on the horizon and I squinted around the sun. It was Squall, with a giant lump on his back. I started a fire, and it was crackling happily by the time Squall reached us.
Squall dropped the bloody Bandersnatch carcass in front of me proudly as Vivi congratulated him. I looked at the meat in front of me, and then stepped over it delicately. It was only then that I spotted Squall looking at me expectantly. He gestured to the meat, and I realised he expected me to prepare it. “Umm, no? I can’t cook! What, you thought that just because I’m a girl that means I’m suddenly a gourmet chef? I’ve exploded rice before.” Riku was trying not to laugh behind me. “…So who is going to cook it then?” Vivi asked.
I looked at the Bandersnatch in front of us. How Squall managed to carry it on his back, I’ll never know, as it was nearly twice his size in bulk. I thought back. “Once… When a group of us were travelling a place called the Outer Continent, we met a girl called Eiko. I watched her cook… it can’t be too hard?” Haru looked at me. “You have no idea, Vivi.” I shrugged. “Quina also told me a few things. Cast Float for me, would you?” Haru nodded and cast the spell. I cast Fire on the ground beneath it, and mentally adjusted the temperature to the right amount. “Quina once cooked us an Ochu, which is almost twice the size of this. Not that tasty, I didn’t like it. Quina cooked it at 375 degrees for 30 minutes… so I guess, half the size, it’ll need 30 minutes at 187 degrees?” Haru looked at me, shocked. “I guess so.” I raised the temperature a little. “That should do it.”
We all waited patiently as the white skin of the Bandersnatch turned a crisp golden brown. When the thirty minutes were up, Squall carved out several parts and handed us a part each. He smiled as he served Riku and Haru, but as he came to me he blushed a little bit (and gave me more, which I didn’t turn down. Bandersnatch is really good!). Soon we were all happily eating, and the sun burned brightly overhead. “You know… I feel bad for hitting Zexion. He didn’t know about Dr. Kadowaki at all… he just got mad. I shouldn’t have hurt him.” Haru frowned a little, and Squall chewed a little slower. We ate the rest of our meal in silence, and when we were done, I incinerated the Bandersnatch bones with a quick Firaga (noting the look of surprise on Haru’s face) and we started walking, but Haru stopped. “Why are we walking?” I looked confusedly up at her. Surely she hadn’t forgotten? “I mean, I can use Teleport, right? So why don’t I just do that?” I nodded, before turning my head and scowling at a nearby tree. I hadn’t thought of that.
We all joined hands and held on tight (a little too tight in Squall’s case, is he really that worried? He was squeezing my hand quite a bit) as Haru cast the spell. I closed my eyes, feeling slightly stretched as the spell took place, and within seconds everything was normal again. Haru, Riku and Squall all let go of each other’s hands, and Squall stood there, not realising why Haru and Riku were giggling. Looking down at me, he noticed he was still holding my hand, and yanked his back before blushing. “Just… making sure… you were okay.” He said, stretching his collar a little. He really can be thoughtful, sometimes. I looked around, and noticed we were in the Throne Room of Lindblum castle. “From here, we can take an Airship to Twilight Town.” Haru cocked her head to the side. “You know, the regency of Lindblum have their own private airship…”
It had felt strange to use Teleport for the first time. I hadn’t really known what to do at first, and just concentrated really hard on the Throne Room while saying ‘Teleport’. I was surprised to see that it had actually worked! Riku and I took the lead on the way to the airship docks, but I kept throwing concerned looks back at Squall and Vivi, who were holding hands again. Did Squall realise that Vivi was too young to understand? Did Vivi realise that Squall was so distraught over Seifer and now Quistis and his friends that he had become over-emotional and got attached easily? I was worried about them, until Riku whispered in my ear. “Don’t worry; Vivi’s totally clueless. Nothing’s going to happen for a few years – at least.” I nodded happily, and kept walking.
In the airship dock, I heard Vivi and Squall gasp loudly and grinned slightly. I loved the effect that this place had on people. And yet it held the same enchantment to me as it did when I first stepped in here. The high ceilings seemed to fade away, and there were always busy, bustling stories being made. The airships looked like something out of a fantasy, and it enthralled me to sit and watch them take shape. The workers were always friendly, and welcomed a chat from me. There was no time for any of that today, though. Vivi seemed keen to press on, no matter how anxious I felt.
I led the group over to my favourite airship as Riku spoke to a commander about commissioning a crew, and we were in the air before long. Squall sat bunched up on the floor at Vivi’s feet, who was looking through the windows of the cabin. Riku was near the pilot, giving her directions. I decided to leave them all to it, and wandered up to the top deck. The wind was speeding over us, and I was pushed from side to side by strong gusts, laughing happily. I hung over the edge of the railings, watching hills and countryside and little villages fly past, and couldn’t help but grin ecstatically. Oh, how I loved to fly.
As Haru smiled broadly, I couldn’t stop my own smiles. It had been a while since I’d flown like this, and I was so glad to be doing it again. As Riku and Haru stood enjoying the flight, the wind whipping through their hair, Squall stayed by my side as I leaned over the railings. The ground looked so small, and yet I didn’t feel high up. I felt Squall’s hands grab at my stomach, and I was instantly glad he did, a second later I lost my grip and would have tumbled off the side if it wasn’t for him. I pulled back, shakily, and hugged his knees. Blushing a little, he let me go. He was blushing a lot, lately.
Haru came over and pulled me to the back of the airship as Riku walked over to talk to Squall. “You know, Vivi, maybe you shouldn’t be so careful about Squall. He can take care of himself, you know!” She said with a smile and a laugh. I frowned slightly. “He’s much more sensitive than you know, Haru. He just needs someone to support him. Since Quistis isn’t here anymore, I have to be that person.” Haru frowned and looked away. “You don’t understand love, do you, Vivi?” I scuffed the floor slightly as I walked away. “No, Haru, I don’t.”
I watched Vivi walk away, chewing on my thoughts. I wondered about his answer; did he seriously not realize why Squall was so friendly around him? ‘No Haru, I don’t,’ he had said. But then, neither did I. I looked over at Riku, who was leaning over the edge of the airship again since Squall had followed Vivi hastily. He was smiling broadly, his eyes dancing in delight, and I ran over to him. “Hey!” he shouted, to be heard over the strong winds. I laughed, and yelled back, “Hi!” He took my hand, and we stood together silently, happily, letting the world pass us by – quite literally.
Suddenly, there was a loud crashing sound that pulled us back to reality. Riku pushed me sideways. “Get inside, quickly!” he bellowed, his face twisted in concern and worry. I started to stumble down the airship’s deck; the ship was rocking wildly, and it was hard to plant my feet firmly anywhere. I felt Riku’s hand in my own still, and was glad to know he was always there. Everything seemed to be shaking and unsteady now, everything was blurring as the airship gained speed. Vivi’s yellow eyes blinked out from the door to the cabin ahead of us. “Captain says there’s engine trouble. You need to come inside right away,” Squall grunted from behind Vivi. I nodded, and kept concentrating on getting over to them, my free hand gripping the railing tightly.
Smoke was billowing out around us everywhere; black and poisonous, it reared up the sides of the ship and darkened the sky. I felt Riku’s grip on my hand weaken, and tightened my own vice-like fingers in response. But I didn’t dare to look back at him; I had to focus on getting inside first. The ship was sinking jarringly now, and the knocks kept forcing me to stop and wait for a few milliseconds. My heart was pounding against my ribs and my lungs were fighting for breath. I fixed my eyes on Vivi’s lamp-like eyes as a point to get to – the only constant in the trembling space around us – until I saw Squall drag him downstairs. We were alone now.
I gave up. There was no way I could reach the steps in time; we were just going to have to fight it out. That was when I finally looked back at Riku. He looked as drained as I felt, but kept pulling along the railing. I shook my head obviously, but he just blinked at me, and pulled his hand from my grip. As he stumbled further away, I tried to catch up with him, but a sudden knock pushed me to my feet. Was I going to be all alone? I called Riku’s name desperately, once, twice, three times…but the words were snatched away by the gathering speed. He had reached the door now, but rather than jumping through it, he closed it firmly, bolting it shut. I was stunned. He had decided to help the others even though we might be about to die. That was the first time I even entertained the idea that it might happen…
The airship was in full descent now, and the earth was rushing up to meet us. I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the crash, but next thing I knew there was something soft on top of me. I peered up to see that Riku had flung himself over me, and I threw my arms around him. He did the same. The roaring in my ears had become deafening now, but all that mattered was that I could be close to Riku in my final moments. “I love you!” I practically hollered at him. His green eyes locked on to mine with something like…longing? Or was it sadness? “I love you too,” he mouthed – unless the crashes had simply drowned out his gentle, caring voice. I smiled, and we shared a final kiss.
